


Will The Real James Ellison Please Stand Up?

by April_Valentine



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Fluff, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-13
Updated: 2014-02-13
Packaged: 2018-01-12 04:22:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1181831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/April_Valentine/pseuds/April_Valentine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Is there really only one Jim Ellison in the world?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Will The Real James Ellison Please Stand Up?

"Hey, Jim!" Blair called as soon as Ellison opened the door. "I'm glad you're home. It's almost time for _The Sarah Connor Chronicles_!"

Jim tossed his keys into the basket and started taking off his jacket. "What?"

"That new Terminator show!" Blair was his usual enthusiastic self. "I told you about it last week."

"I don't keep track of your television viewing habits, Sandburg," Jim said dryly. He was tired from a long day of testifying in court and all he really wanted was to have a beer and some dinner. "Is there anything to eat?" And after dinner, he was hoping to spend some quality time with his lover -- _not_ watching television.

"There's some lasagna in the fridge," Blair answered. "I was starving when I got home, but I saved you some."

Jim moved to the refrigerator and pulled out the plate of lasagna. He slid it into the microwave and then got himself a beer. He glanced at Blair, noting that his roommate was sitting cross-legged on the couch, eagerly staring at the glowing TV screen.

While he was waiting for his dinner to heat up, he moved to sit beside Blair. 

"I taped last week's episode if you want to catch up."

Jim took a long swig of his beer. "That's okay. You can fill me in." He knew that even if he didn't ask, Blair would describe the character relationships and what had happened last week to him. "Why are you so excited about this show anyway?" As he watched, silver robots marched across the screen and music similar to the Terminator films' soundtrack played.

"Naomi and I loved _T2_ ," Blair enthused. "We watched it together all the time."

"You and Naomi?" Jim didn't think the Terminator series was the type of movie Naomi Sandburg would have liked.

"It's a mother and son story, Jim," Blair explained. "Sarah Connor gave birth to John Conner after the first movie, and _Terminator 2_ is about them trying to get away from the really bad terminator played by Robert Patrick. The one played by Arnold is good in that one and helps them out. John rescues his mother from the mental hospital they'd put her in...."

"Okay. Whatever." Jim still didn't really get the attraction. 

"And this new series is fantastic," Blair went on, pausing to look at Jim with a wide grin. "They've got all the canonical stuff from the movies and worked out how the characters get to the present day and everything."

"Wonderful." Jim would have been happier watching an old Bonanza rerun, but if it made Blair happy.... The microwave beeped and he got up to get his plate of lasagna.

"There he is!" Blair suddenly called out. "Jim, c'mere!"

"Sandburg, I want to eat my dinner," Jim responded, knowing his tone was grouchy but he figured Sandburg was used to that. He pulled his plate out of the microwave and got a fork from the drawer, collecting a napkin too before he moved to the dining table.

"Hurry up -- oh, never mind," Blair said, sounding disappointed. "He's off screen again."

"Who?" Jim groused, sitting down to eat. "Somebody you went to school with is in the show?"

"No, Jim." Blair got up from the couch and approached him. 

"The commercial's on," he explained when Jim looked surprised that he'd leave the TV. 

As if that explained everything, Jim shot him a look. Blair still hadn't told him what he was talking about. "So who do you want me to see?" Jim asked pointedly, finally taking a bite of his lasagna. 

Blair's grin was huge. His blue eyes were dancing and Jim figured that whatever was pleasing his friend so much was worth it if it made him look so happy. He liked Blair happy. It made going to bed with him fun. 

"It's _you_!" Blair blurted. 

"Huh?" Jim asked. His lover was hurrying back to the television now. 

"It's you, Jim!" Blair looked up, grinning maniacally now. At Jim's blank look he went on. "There's a character on the show, an FBI agent who's looking for Sarah Connor -- "

"I'm a detective, not an FBI agent," Jim began.

Blair ignored him. "And he's tall and buff and everything, but... "

"Sandburg." Jim put his fork down and scooted his chair away from the table. "What the heck are you talking about?" He moved to stand between his partner and the television set.

Blair sighed. "He's not in that many scenes so they might not show him again in this episode."

"Who?" Jim bellowed, completely out of patience. He was considering ordering Sandburg to sleep on the couch or in his old room tonight.

"James Ellison!" Blair leaned so he could see the TV past Jim's body. "Wait -- look! There he is!" He pointed, laughing, and Jim wasn't sure if Blair was laughing at him or not.

He turned to look at the set. There was a tall, handsome black man on screen. He wore a suit and tie, so Jim figured he was the FBI character. "So?"

"That's him!" Blair proclaimed. "I wasn't sure since they don't say his name that much so I checked on the IMDB...."

"The what?" Jim interrupted. Sandburg's constant use of acronyms he didn't know was almost as annoying as when his senses overloaded.

"The Internet Movie Database," Blair told him, his voice switching to lecture mode. Jim heard the distinct echo of 'don't you know anything?' hanging after Sandburg's words.

"And?" he questioned, patience exhausted.

"And his _name_ is James Ellison!" Blair told him triumphantly. "Do you believe it? There's actually a TV character with the same name as you!"

Though odd, Jim figured it wasn't that unusual. Probably a lot of real people had found out that there was or had been a character with their name on TV. He looked at the African American actor. "He's pretty good looking," Jim observed. "I guess that's appropriate." He suppressed a grin. It was weird though. He worried that Brown and Rafe would tease him about it tomorrow at the office.

"You're handsomer, but yeah, he's not bad," Blair agreed, his eyes meeting Jim's, the flirtation in them warming the sentinel.

"So there's a TV character with my name," A stubborn part of Jim didn't want to react, just to make Sandburg squirm.

"I've gotta tell the guys!" Sandburg said, not squirming at all, except in enthusiasm. "They'll love this!"

"Don't you dare!" Jim ordered, taking what he hoped was a threatening step toward his lover. "I don't need them all laughing at me any more than they already do." Uncomfortable, he remembered them pretending to bow down to his sentinel abilities after the dissertation fiasco.

"Okay, Jim," Blair answered mildly. "Take it easy." 

Jim returned to his plate of lasagna, hoping it was still hot.

Blair went on watching the show. 

When by the time Jim had finished his dinner, washed his dishes and gone through the mail, the show was over. He moved to sit beside Blair, but his friend hopped off the couch and began kneeling in front of the video tape cabinet. 

"What are you looking for?" Jim asked, realizing he hadn't even had a welcome home kiss yet.

"I know it's here somewhere," Blair answered, moving tapes around and reading the labels on their spines. 

"Sandburg," Jim said, knowing there was the slightest hint of a whine in his tone. "I don't want to watch anything else tonight. Come here and sit beside me."

"Here it is!" Blair grabbed a tape and held it up. He turned toward the vcr.

"Don't put it in!" Jim demanded. "What is that, anyway?"

"A movie," Blair said, his grin looking like he was holding some kind of holy grail. "I taped it a couple months ago but forgot to tell you about it."

Jim rubbed his forehead. He was getting a headache. "Sandburg, I'm tired. I don't feel like playing twenty questions again and I don't feel like watching some movie."

"But you're in it, too," Blair grinned as if that made everything all right.

"You mean the actor on the Sarah Connor Whatever show?"

"Nope." Blair looked at Jim more closely, for the first time taking in his true mood. He put down the tape and sat beside him, wrapping an arm around Jim's shoulders. "Tired?"

"Yes," Jim sighed. "I've been trying to tell you that."

"I'm sorry, Jim," Blair said. "I haven't been very attentive to you tonight, have I?"

"No, you haven't." Jim tried to sound annoyed but with Blair's fingers massaging his neck, that was difficult.

Blair leaned over to kiss him, letting his tongue slide past Jim's lips. Jim wrapped him up in both his arms, deepening the kiss, finally feeling his tension relax. They kissed for a long time and Blair ended up straddling Jim's lap.

"So? No more TV tonight?" Jim asked when they broke apart.

"Okay," Blair agreed, his lips reddened from Jim's kisses. "We can save the movie for later."

"Why did you want to show it to me anyway?" Jim asked, making idle conversation while he combed his fingers through Blair's silky curls.

"Like I said, you're in it," Blair smiled. "It's called _I Walked With a Zombie._ "

"Why would I want to watch an old B-rated horror flick?" Jim asked, not really registering all of what Blair said. "Wait, you're not calling me a zombie, are you?"

"No, for the lead actor," Blair said, leaning in to kiss him again. "I looked him up on the IMDB, too. He made a few horror movies in the forties but he was in Westerns too. One of them was _I Killed Geronimo_ and another was called _The Man from the Black Hills._ "

"Who?" Jim said, his lips busy nibbling along Blair's jaw. 

"James Ellison, the actor," Blair answered, sounding like he enjoyed the nibbling. "He sometimes billed himself as Jimmy Ellison, too." Blair giggled, his fingers tickling Jim's ribs.

"What?" Jim was confused. His brain didn't want to concentrate on talking anymore, or on TV characters or movie actors. 

"We'll watch it over the weekend. He's not as good looking as you are though." Blair promised, sucking on Jim's earlobe. 

Jim thought that was something at least. 

"At least I know I've got the real James Ellison in my bed," Blair concluded. "Even if there are two others people can watch on TV."

Jim, tired of talking, and wanting to prove he was the only James Ellison that Blair should be thinking about, captured his lover's mouth once more. He drew Blair off the couch and headed them toward the stairs. "Let's take care of the bed part now, Sandburg."

**Author's Note:**

> I originally wrote this little story as an Obsenad for the mailing list, SENAD. It was posted on my LJ on February 12, 2008, exactly six years ago today.
> 
> Yes, there was a character named James Ellison in "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" and he was played by actor, Richard T. Jones. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_T._Jones)  
> Also, it's my understanding that the creators of The Sentinel chose the name James Ellison because they'd heard of the actor from the 40s B movies. 
> 
> My son and I always loved Terminator 2 and thought of it as a mother-son story so we watched The Sarah Connor Chronicles together when it was on.


End file.
